


Rogues and Lovers

by Sephiratale, uriellactaea



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dalish elf, Fluff, Romance, elf-brooded
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:31:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8322760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephiratale/pseuds/Sephiratale, https://archiveofourown.org/users/uriellactaea/pseuds/uriellactaea
Summary: Kariell Trevelyan is the half-brother of the Inquisitor Uriell Trevelyan, half-elf and well known seductor. He followed his sister in Skyhold, and found himself attracted to a dalish elf representative of the clan Lavellan, named Tiael.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> Here you will find the story of Kariell (Uriellactaea's Oc) and Tiael (my Oc).
> 
> We hope you'll enjoy it !

The court of Skyhold was nearly empty, everyone back in their quarters or drinking a last pint the Herald’s Rest before the closing time.

A young female Dalish elf was waiting in the cold night of Skyhold, a cloak around her shoulders and a hood over her head. Alone in a corner of the court, she observed the night in silence, hoping the transaction between the merchant of her clan and the Inquisition would not take too long.

Suddenly, the door of the tavern opened with a din, she nearly jumped, ready to take her dagger. A tall blond man stumbled outside roaring with laughter, waving his hand to some people still in the tavern.

The corpulence of the man let her think he was human. A fleeting ray of the moon on his tied hair revealed two slightly pointed ears, ornamented with stylish jewels.

Once the door closed behind him, the human laid his hands on his hips and raised his eyes to the moon with a smile on his lips.

“Time to close the stable or Master Dennet will tear me off a strip,” he said to himself.

He seemed not to have noticed the elf yet. 

She raised an eyebrow and turned her head towards him, a bit irritated by the noisy shemlen. Until she noticed his ears, she wondered: could he be half-elvhen?

The young man was clearly busy, visibly searching something around the tavern. The elf took advantage of his distraction to observe the strange specimen, she had never seen a half-elf before. He was tall, taller than the average for an elf, but his wide and well-drawn muscularity left no doubts about his human origins.

After some minutes of intense search, he clicked his tongue with satisfaction when he found a bucket hidden behind a bench. Once his equipment in his hands, the man stood up singing a melody the elf knew well.  _ An elvhen song? That’s intriguing.  _ Skyhold was definitely a place full of surprise. At first, the Inquisitor being truly and respectfully kind with her clan, being nice and friendly with her and then this man… Lost in her thoughts and to her surprise, she noticed way too late that the man fixed her with a great smile.

The young man seemed as surprised as her of their mutual presence. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gave her a warm smile and said with a loud voice:

“Oh you’re the one who came back with Uriell, aren’t you? Do you want to visit the place?”

She crossed her arms under her heavy dark cloak with a severe look, his elvhen eyes glowing in the night. She distrusted the human, even if they were half-elvhen, it was a question of survival for the Dalish.

“That’s right and I’ve already visited with Lady Montilyet,” she answered with a neutral voice.

“If Precious made you look around the property, she has only showed you the boring things!” said the young man with a laugh. “Ur’s friends are my friends and I want them to be at ease!”

He winked and added:

“I know you’re not fond of how we treat our animals here, but do you want to see our horses? It’s not very far from here.”

The elf let escape a sigh. Knowing the merchant of her clan, the transaction would take long. Seeing the horses seemed to be an only average activity, but she verified her dagger was beyond easy reach.

“Fine, I will see your horses.”

“You won’t regret it!” he shouted with a smile.

He waited patiently for the elf to join him, but she was still on her guards.  _ Not surprising after all _ , he thinks,  _ how could Dalish trust people living within stone walls? _

As she moved closer to him, he distinguished the sparkle of her eyes. His semi-elvhen eyes perceived in the darkness the original colours that shone in her pupils. He turned away, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.  _ What a beautiful colour _ , he thought but he did not want to seem intrusive.

With his free hand, he showed her the path and began to walk. He tried to resume the conversation.

“I’m Kariell. Squire of Ser Dennet, our groom and occasionally the young brother of the Herald of Andraste. And you?” He addressed a little smile, an eyebrow arisen. “Can I ask you your name?”

“Tiael Lavellan,” she answered with her neutral voice.

She followed him without adding a word, her eyes memorizing the path they walked so she could quickly run away if she needed to. Strangely, she wanted to trust a little this man, but the wary words of the Keeper of her clan echoed in her head: “The shemlen do not deserve our trust, they will always try to imprison us or kill us.”

“So Tiael. It’s a pretty name!” Kariell said with emphasis, looking at her over his shoulder. “As pretty as your eyes. Is pink common in the Dalish clans?”

She raised an eyebrow, a surprised sigh left her lips. He had seen the pink in her eyes, but not blue circle around the pink one, still it was rare that a human saw it.

“Well, a shem who can see further than the end of his nose in the night. I must admit I’m surprised.”

“My mother gave me this, maybe you’ll see her tomorrow if you stay here,” he said with a cheerful tone.

Kariell noticed that the cape and the clothes of Tiael looked thin and not adapted to the snow carpet of Skyhold. Without a word, he took off his own leather coat and handed it to the elf.

“It’s a bit big, but I don’t want a pretty elf like you get a cold.”

Tiael bit her lips, holding back a light laugh.

“Ah you shemlen. I’m not cold, the leather and the fabric of my clothes are perfectly adapted to those temperatures. And to be honest, I don’t really want to wear this heavy coat, but I like the intention.”

Kariell began to laugh again with his deep voice and threw his mantle over his shoulder.

“As you wish, but don’t hesitate to ask for it, it’s all yours. And it’s very soft, I assure you.” Kariell winked again. “But I must admit, it would have been a shame to hide you under it.” 

Kariell continued to walk and came near the stairs that led to the lower court of the castle, when he began singing again an elvhen song.

Tiael followed him few steps behind. She observed the movements of his muscles, she listened the song he hummed and could not help smiling hearing him pronouncing wrong some words.

“It’s ar lath ma, not arl athe ma.”

Kariell raised his eyes to the sky with a pensive look.

“Hm… I believe you. I have only few notions of the elvhen language and my mother hasn’t sing it for years.” He turned to her with an amused smile. “Maybe you could teach me?”

“Shouldn’t we see the horses before?”

“Oh I didn’t mean it right now. I just had the hope we could meet again.”

Kariell got ahead Tiael. They were close to the stables. He threw his mantle on a pyramidal stone, went to the drinking trough, his bucket in hand. He put some grass to fill it and mixed it with water. Once it was done, he whistled and a neigh came from the stables.

“Sorry, only one is awake and he is not the nicest one…”

She passed in front of him, a certain severity on her face.

“I will be the only judge.”

She entered the stables and saw a black horse which seemed in an awful mood with his ear backwards. The beast shook his head when she drew closer. She stretched her hand to let the horse smell before petting his neck, talking to him in elvhen. Kariell whistled in admiration.

“I’m amazed! Usually, Diavolo let anyone get near him. I have no problem with all the others, but this one is really stubborn. He is only nice with Uriell, and it even depends on the days.”

“It’s maybe because you don’t let him the choice to accept or refuse your approach. And I think he doesn’t like to be locked up here.”

“I see what you mean, but I can’t let him go out… not without the agreement of Master Dennet or he…Never mind! Do you want to take a horse walk?” he asked before getting a grip on himself, a bit clumsy. “If Diavolo is okay of course. Can you ask him?”

She laughed a bit.

“I don’t talk to animals, Kariell. But I have no doubt he agrees very strongly for a walk.”

She spoke once more to the horse in elvhen, Diavolo shook his head when she pronounced Kariell’s name.

“I heavily doubt he let you climb on him.”

“Missed!” he said with a wave of hand. “You’ll need to wait for Uriell. One more reason to stay!” he added with a wink.

“For the moment, I’m confined here, waiting for the merchant deign to end her affairs. And seeing how late it is, I doubt we leave before the morning.”

“Oh I see,” Kariell said with a pensive look as he was ready to close the stable.

He took a broom and cleaned the entrance of the building. He closed some doors and took care  the animals had everything they needed. Despite the cold in the court, Kariell’s shirt sticked to his skin. Maybe because of the turbulent evening at the Tavern?

Once he had finished, he turned back to Tiael.

“Did Uriell tell you where you can sleep?”

“Our aravels are at the end of the path that leads to Skyhold.” Her tone was pensive, her eyes wandering on Kariell’s torso. “I suppose we will go back there to spend the rest of the night,” she added, crossing her arms.

“I hope your aravels have a good isolation, the nights are cold here. At last, my room is not the coldest piece in Skyhold,” he said with a wink. “Do you want to see the basements of Skyhold? I bet Precious didn’t show it. And contrary to what you can think, the view is spectacular even in the night!”

Tiael crossed Kariell’s eyes and she froze on the spot.  _ Great idea, Kariell,  _ he thought.  _ Asking out a woman who doesn’t trust you to visit the basement. Nice move! _

“The view from the basement? Is it a sort of trap? If yes, you’re not smart enough to set one,” she retorted coldly, ready to leave for the door of the castle, disappointed. He was just another shem like the others.

“No, wait!” Kariell shouted, sheepish. “Do you really find me threatening? You can search me if you want, I have no weapon,” he added opening his arms, which made his chest visible through his shirt.

Tiael turned over, her nostrils briefly parted she can manage the confusion Kariell’s sight provoked in her whole body.

“No, indeed you are disarmed. But it’s clearly not the case of the soldiers around us.”

“And what if we could drag them outside? So, it will only be you and me.”

“If you’re plotting a dirty trick, I reserve the right to stab you, Inquisitor’s brother or not,” she declared with a deeply serious tone, Kariell did not doubt she would do it.

“It seems fair,” he agreed with a raise of the eyebrows. “I’m all yours.”

He made a slight bow.

“Now, I need you to wait here,” he said, showing a dark spot behind the door leading to the kitchen. “I’m going to make the last guards get out.”

She obeyed, cursing herself in thoughts for saying yes, but Kariell had aroused her curiosity. She leaned on a wall, waiting for him to reappear.  _ Never mind if the Keeper is furious, she is not even here and the situation seems too promising to stop now _ .

Kariell disappeared in the kitchen. Less than a minute later, a dozen of guards were escaping, running, hands on their heads, screaming and struggling, followed by a swarm of furious bees. Once all the guards had left the kitchen, the young man reappeared through the partially open door and winked to her, waving at her to invite to enter. Tiael followed him closely, he had no room for error.

The excitement made his head spined and he couldn’t avoid some nervous bursts of laughter. Soon after the kitchen, he stopped, close to a worn wooden door.

“Lady, I present you the cellar.”

Exaggerating a bow like the Orlesians, Kariell made a step behind with great twirls of hand as he opened the door with the other.

Tiael watched him, an eyebrow cocked, then passed the door. As she was inside, she took off her hood, allowing her a greater freedom of movement and revealing her long curly dark red hair.

For the moment, the cellar was not full of bottles, but she noticed the name of some great vintages she had only heard of. She was hardly a connoisseur of the shemlen beverages.

“Is it the collection of the Inquisitor?” she asked.

Kariell could not help watching the Dalish from behind and her long dark freed hair. Heavy silky and shiny locks, as untameable as the fire it seemed made of. However, he pulled himself together to answer to Tiael:

“Indeed! A little collection of the strong beverages of Thedas. But follow me here.”

Kariell got closer to the back of the room and pushed a hidden stone behind a shelf. The wall spined on it axe and let appear another dark and cool room.

“This is the new wine cellar! Dagna, our engineer had created this room recently. Only the servants know it and have access since…well… let's just say I’ve surprised one *coughs* or some friends of my sister stealing some bottles for their hidden drinking.”

“Your sister has an interesting collection. I must admit I’ve never taste the shemlen alcohol, but I know the bottles you have here cost a fortune. Let me advise you: never let the merchant of my clan come here, she is capable to buy them at a ridiculously low price and sell them a fortune,” she explained with an amused smile. She felt more and more at ease with him and she allowed herself to relax.

Kariell let out a laugh.

“Ha, ha, I don’t think Uriell wants to sell them given all the troubles she went to collect them! But I will warn her,” he added with a mischievous grin.

Kariell suddenly stilled and listened carefully: noises seemed to come from the kitchen again. He should act quickly if he wanted to avoid Tiael’s anger.

“This way!” he whispered quickly.

He waited for Tiael to leave the cellar, closed the secret cellar and the main door, then moved with muffled steps to the kitchen. Someone had been sent to see if all the bees were out. Fortunately, Kariell still had one jar of bees left, tied to his belt. He took it quickly, squatted and threw it from the bottom of the door against the table of the kitchen. Furious, the insects showered down on the poor scout who ran away, screaming. Taking advantage of the respite, Kariell turned towards Tiael and took her hand before running to another door in the hall.

Tiael could not help laughing of surprise. It seemed an eternity had passed since she had so much entertainment and she had to admit that it was quite funny to see all those guards running away because of simple bees. She felt Kariell’s hand slightly tightening around hers when he stopped in front of a door, a little breathless with a wide childish smile on his lips. He looked so proud of what he had done.

“And now,” he said, panting because of the run and the excitement, “here is the secret library!”

Kariell opened the door, raising thin clouds of dust in the dark room. A smell of dampness prevailed in the room without windows and the cleaning should be made, but no one seemed to care. However, some candles still burnt in the room, undoubtedly because of some old spells. Huge grimoires and other old books laid on the bookshelves, the scaled covers offering a vast palette of worn colors. A study table took center stage at the end of the room, a thick layer of dust and spider-webs covered an opened book, as if the time had stopped at this page. The sprinkled lightening and the magical atmosphere of the library inspired quietness and serenity.

Releasing the hand of the young man, Tiael walked slowly in the library, her eyes laying on the ancient books. She passed her thin hand on the dusty side of books and let escape a little surprised sigh. Some of those books were in elvhen, even in an old elvhen she barely understood. Turning to face Kariell, she whispered:

“It’s…incredible.”

“I knew you would like it,” he said with a satisfied smile, avoiding to admit he had seen her reading in the official library earlier that day.

Slowly, he came closer to the elf and looked at the elvhen books she had carefully observed before.

“If you stay, you could read them when you want. If Uriell agrees, they could even be yours.”

Kariell sent her a charming smile. Seeing he was lost in her pink and blues eyes, he regained his composure:

“At least, if Solas agrees too. He is one of Uriell’s companions, I think you have already seen him. An elf, tall, bald? I’ve already locked him here *coughs* intentionally while he was drowned in these books. I must admit, the others only noticed the next day he was missing and they found him asleep here. I’m not even sure he noticed being locked.”

She smiled, shaking her head.

“You are one hell of prankster, Kariell.”

Then her smile faded suddenly and she avoided his emerald eyes.

“I  have to say I may want to stay, your culture has always fascinated me. To the great displeasure of the Keeper. And I’m afraid the said Keeper won’t agree,” she sighed putting a book down.

Kariell observed intrigued the expression of the Dalish. She seemed sad at the mention of the Keeper, but he kept his remarks for himself. For now.

“You haven’t seen everything yet!” he gasped with a wide smile. “Come, I’ve kept the best for the end!”

Kariell took her hand again, a familiar gesture for him, he realized later that she may not like that. Yet, she did not release her hand and she let him guide her. Kariell went through new halls, then stairs, deep in the core of the castle. At each junction, he stopped, keeping her close to him, verifying there was no guard around. He got closer and closer to the prison of Skyhold. Emptied of all prisoners today, the guards should have been assigned somewhere else. He was right, the hall was empty. He felt the eyes of Tiael on him, she gave him a questioning look with a spark of intrigue.

“Where do you plan to lead me?”

“You’ll see, it’s impressive,” he answered all smiles, holding her against him at the corner of the hall. He rushed, going through the middle of the prison, the empty cells opened around them. Before Tiael could express her disapproval, Kariell ran to the door at the end of the prison. Without hesitation, knowing it had no lock, Kariell opened it with a light kick. The door opened on some wooden boards then on a gaping chasm under Skyhold. The prison, built on a cliff, offered an incredible view above the reliefs of the Frostback Mountains, snow shone under the moonlight. Some open-air cells were still reachable; more dangerous than every sentence of the Herald of Andraste. Although she did not have dizziness, Tiael held on Kariell’s shirt, surprised by the view under their feet.

“What a sight…I’m afraid I can’t find the words in your language to express how I feel.”

She spoke for herself in elvhen, lost in the admiration of the landscape.

Even Though Kariell had not understood the words she said, he felt the finger of the young Dalish closing around his chest. Instinctively, he wrapped softly the fire-haired elf in his thick arms to reassure her. They stood here a moment watching the giant hole under their feet when few words came to his mind, from the time when his mother still spoke in elvhen as he was a child.

“ _ Don’t worry, I’m here _ ,” he softly murmured, surprised by his own memories.

Tiael shyly smiled before noticing their strange closeness. Her instinct told her to run, but she did not want to listen to it. Oddly, this man reassured her and something else in her mind told her she can trust him, he would not hurt her. She looked at their feet and began to laugh.

Kariell, surprised by the tinkling laugh of Tiael did not know how to react. Feeling his cheeks becoming red, he panicked.

“What? Have I said something wrong? I was sure it was…”

“No, no. Your elvhen phrase was correct. But the stability of your feet shows me you’ll be the one to fall rather than the one to hold back.”

Kariell regained his usual composure.

“You see, I’m quite an acrobat. I was a cat in a previous life! A little wobbly cat, but who always fall on his paws.” He thought for few seconds. “But yes, it’s better not to fall. Let’s go.”

Tiael returned on the firm ground and he followed her. They walked back to the castle court, still discreet.

“So, what do you think of the unusual visit of Skyhold?” he whispered.

She stopped for a few seconds with a terribly serious look, Kariell’s heart skipped a beat, had he done something wrong? Was he boring?

“I must admit…it was more interesting and entertaining than Lady Montilyet’s, especially with no useless diplomatic things.”

A little grin briefly appeared on her lips, he guessed she had seen his trouble.  _ How did she manage to do this so quickly?  _ Usually, he was able to be unreadable, but she has caught him off guard.

They arrived in the court in silence. Tiael saw an elvhen silhouette coming to her, walking a bit funny. Keela had finished the transaction and she was not leaving empty-handed. The merchant told her in elvhen they could leave the castle now she had everything she needed. She had even not noticed the young man. Tiael turned to face him.

“Thank you for the visit. I wish you a good night,” she said, her body already moving to leave.

“Same for you. I hope to see you again.”

She only smiled, putting back her hood on her head, So he could not see her eyes lingering on him, memorizing him.


End file.
